Equipment box



Aug. 31, 1954 G. w. MATHIS 2,687,834

EQUIPMENT BOX Filed July 3, 1950 "2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig. l

.Fig. 2

- INVENTOR. GLENN- w MATHIS} BY 74%.}

ATTORNE g 31, 1954 Q G. w. MATHIS 2,687,834

EQUIPMENT BOX Filed July 3, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ag az Fig. 4

INVENTOR. GLENN w. MATHI$ RY W ATTOR Patented Aug. 31, .1954

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to equipment boxes and more particularly to equipment boxes adapted to be supported on the body of the wearer.

An equipment box, such as the tool box of a mechanic or the tackle box of a fisherman, which is supported on the body of the wearer, usually by means of a waist belt, must be so constructed that its contents are easily accessible to the hands of the wearer when-the box is opened and are prevented from falling out during the opening of the box. In addition, the box must at all times be so disposed that it will not interfere with the normal movements of the wearer.

Accordingly, it is an object of m invention to provide a new and improved equipment box adapted to be supported on the body of the wearer.

It is another object of my invention to provide a new and improved body supported equipment box which does not interfere with the movements of the wearer.

It is another object of my invention to provide a new and improved body'supported equipment box whose contents are easily accessible to the wearer when it is in its open position. v i

It is still another object of my invention to provide a new and improved body supported equipment box whose contents are prevented from falling out during theopening move-ments of the equipmentbox.

Briefly stated, the new and improved equipment box of m invention comprises a main plate provided with a curved portion extending from its upper end which is adapted to closely engage the body of th wearer. The curved portion may be attached to the waist belt of the wearer by means of metal loops secured to the curved portion. The main plate is maintained ina substantially vertical position since the curved portion engages the waist of the wearer and the back surface of the lower portion of the main plate lies against the thigh. A substantially rectangu-- lar box having an open side is hingedly secured to the main plate at an axis near the lower end of the main plate. The open side of the receptacle is adjacent and parallel to the main plate when the equipment box is in closed position and is perpendicular to the main plate when the equipment box is in open position. In order to prevent the contents of the box from falling out when the box is being moved from closed-to-open or open-to-closed positions, a lid is hingedly secured to the box adjacent the open side of the box and permits the box to be closed before the box is moved from one position to another. In

one embodiment of my invention the lid is secured to the side of the box adjacent the axis at which the box is hingedly secured to the main plate. In another embodiment of my invention, the lid is hingedly secured to the side of the box which is remote from the axis at which the box 7 is secured to the main plate.

For a better understanding of my invention,

reference may be had to the following descrip- Referring now especially to Figures 1, 2 and I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of the body supported equipment box of my invention.

The equipment box comprises a fiat plate ll! of substantially rectangular shape having at one end a pair of spacing members H and i2 which extend substantiall perpendicularly from plate Iii. Securedto spacing members I I and I 2 is a curved plate I3 whose free end is inclined toward plate It). Plate It, spacing members H and I2, and curved plate [3 may be formed or a single piece of sheet metal which is cut andbenttinto the desired shape or may be separate pieces rigidly secured to one another by brazing, welding or any other suitable means. Curved plate I3 is provided with a suitable waist belt engaging means such as metal loops M which are secured to curved plate It by riveting, soldering, welding or any other suitable means. A waist belt, not shown, is passed through loops Ill and is then fastened about the waist. The equipment box is disposed at the side of the wearer. In this position the curved plate is engages the waist of the wearer and spacing members H and i2 maintaining the upper end or flat plate is in a position displaced from the waist of the wearer so that the upper end of flat plate I0 does not contact the body of the wearer. The lower end of flat plate l0, however, contacts the outer side of the thigh. Due to the contact of the lower end of fiat plate [I] and the curved plate IS with the body of the wearer, flat plate It! is maintained in substantiallyvertical position on the body of the wear whether the wearer is in upright, kneeling, or crouched position.

A rectangular receptacle l5 having a bottom l6 and sides I1, [8, l9 and 25 is pivotally secured to the fiat plate I0. Flat plate I is provided with a pair of lugs El and 22 which extend perpendicularly from fiat plate Ill and which are provided with holes to receive pins 23 and 24, respectively, which are rigidly secured to sides I!) and Il, respectively by soldering, welding, or any other: suitable means. Lugs 2i and 22 and fiat plate It may be made of a single piece of sheet metal or lugs 2i and 22 may be separatepieces secured to fiat plate Ii! b soldering, welding, or any other suitable means. It will be noted that pins 2! and 22 are spaced'frozn fiat plate In so that the edge of side 2!! will clear fiat plate In as receptacle i is moved pivotally about pins 2| and 22 from open to closed or closed to open positions. Flate plate Iil is also provided with a, pair of'stops 25 and 2t securedto the lower portion of flat plate It! and adapted to contact side 2'!) of receptacle I5 when receptacle i5 is in its, open position. Stops 25 and 26 are employed to maintain receptacle I5 in a position perpendicular to flat plate I0 when receptacle [5 is in open position.

Receptacle i5 is provided witha lid 21 which is secured to side I8 by means of a hinge 28. Lid 21 is provided witha flange 29 which abuts sides I1, I9 and 20 when lid 2! is in closed position. Flange 29 is preferably made to have a tight fit about sides ll, I9and 2B. in order to obviate the useof latch means to maintain lid 27 in closed position. If desired, however, any conventional latch means may be employed to lock lid 2'! to receptacle I5 when lid 2'! is in closed position. Hinge 28 may be designed to permit lid El to open only to the position shown in Figure 2. If desired, hinge 28 may be so constructed. as to allow lid Zlto open completelyso that the outer surface of lid 2'! lies parallel to and adjacent side I8. If desired, lid Z'l may be hinged to side 29, as shown in Figure 3. In this embodiment of my invention, lid 21 may be biasedtoward closed position by using a spring hinge 29d of conventional design.

In order to maintain receptacle I5 in the closed position illustrated in Figure 1, I provide a pin 30 rigidly secured to side I8 of receptacle I5 which engages in a. hole 38 provided in a strip 32. Strip 32 is of substantially angular form having one endattached toplate It by means of rivets orany other suitablefasten-ing means, and the other end projecting substantially perpendicularly from plate ill. As receptacle It is pivoted about pins 23 and 24 to closed position, pin 39 contacts the upturned end of strip 32 and bends strip 32 upwardly until pin 39 enters into hole 3L Receptacle I5 is unlatched by lifting upwardly on the free end of strip 32. Strip 32, being elastic to some extent, bends and allows pin 32 to swing clear of hole SI The manner in which the equipment box is used will be apparent from. the above description. Briefly, if the box is carried on the left side, strip 32 is lifted allowingreceptacle Hi to pivot about pins 23 and 24 until it reaches the position illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 where it lies substantially parallel to the ground. Lid 2? is then lifted pivoting about hinge 23 until it reaches the position shown in Figure 2. Lid 2'! will stay in this position until closed. Both hands of the wearer are therefore free to handle the contents of receptacle I5. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, the spring hinge 29 will tend to close lid 27 but lid 2'! can be held open by the left elbow or left forearm while the right hand is engaged in handling the contents of receptacle I5. To bring the equipment box to closed position, lid 2'! is closed and receptacle [5 is pivoted until pin 30 engages in hole 3| of strip 32. It will be noted that receptacle I5 is covered by lid 2'! prior to any pivotal movement of receptacle ti'aabout pins 23 and 2d; Thecontents of receptacle l5, therefore, can not fallto-the ground during opening or closing movements of the equipment box.

The ready accessibility of the contents of recep tacle of E5, the protection of the contents of receptacle Illduring manipulation of the equip ment box, and the relative freedom of movement afforded by 'theposition of the equipment box on the wearer are among the advantages of the illustrated preferred embodiments of my invention.

While, I have shown and described preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be apparent to those'skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from my invention, and I, therefore, aim in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire tosecure by LettersPatent of the United States is:

1. In a box to be supported at the waist at the side'of' a wearer; a supporting plate having an upper and a lower end; an arcuate plate having the arcuate portion thereof adapted to fit the side of a wearer rigidly'secured in spaced relation to the upper end. of said supporting plate with an arcuate edge of said arcuate plate being inthe same plane as the upper end of said supporting plate. and the ends ofsaid arcuate plate extending away from one side of said supporting plate; said supporting plate extending downwardly below said arcuate plate, and said upper andlower ends of said supporting plate being sufiicientlyspaced to span the normal distance between a wearers belt line and a point on a wearers thigh whereby said supporting plate is adapted to engage a wearers thigh and be held in substantially vertical position when said arcuate plate engages awearers waist at his belt line; a substantially rectangular receptacle pivotally secured adjacent one of its ends to the other side of said supporting plate intermediate upper and lowerends of said supporting plate, said receptacle having an open side which lies adjacent and parallel to said supporting plate when said receptacle is pivoted to closed position and perpendicular to said supporting plate when said receptacle is pivoted to open position; a lid hingedly secured to said receptacle for closing said open side, said receptacle having a side adjacent said lower end of said supporting plate which lies perpendicular to said supporting plate when said receptacle is in closed position and parallel and overlying the portion of said supporting. plate adjacent said lower end when the receptacle is in open position; said lid lying adjacent said supporting plate when said receptacle is in fully closed position; and means for maintaining said receptacle in fully closed position.

2. In a box to be supported at the Waist at the side of a wearer; a supporting plate having an upper and a lower end; an arcuate plate having the arcuate portion thereof adapted to fit the side of a wearer rigidly secured in spaced relation tothe upper end of saidv supporting plate with an arcuate edge of said arcuate plate being in the same plane as the upper end of said supporting plate and the ends of said arcuate plate extending away from one side of said supporting plate; said supporting plate extending downwardly below said arcuate plate, and said upper and lower ends of said supporting plate being sufliciently spaced to span the normal distance between a wearers belt line and a point on a wearers thigh whereby said supporting plate is adapted to engage a wearers thigh and be held in substantially vertical position when said arcuate plate engages a wearers Waist at his belt line; a substantially rectangular receptacle pivotally secured adjacent one of its ends to the other side of said supporting plate intermediate upper and lower ends of said supporting plate, said receptacle having an open side which lies adjacent and parallel to said supporting plate when said receptacle is pivoted to closed position and perpendicular to said supporting plate when said receptacle is pivoted to open position; a lid hingedly secured to said receptacle for closing said open side, said receptacle having a side adjacent said lower end of said supporting plate which lies perpendicular to said supporting plate when said receptacle is in closed position and parallel and overlying the portion of said supporting plate adjacent said lower end when the receptacle is in open position; said lid lying adjacent said supporting plate when said receptacle is in fully closed position; and means for maintaniing said receptacle in fully closed position; belt engaging means secured to said arcuate plate; said receptacle secured to said supporting plate by means of lugs rigidly secured to said supporting plate which engage pins on opposite sides of said receptacle; and stop means secured to said supporting plate on the surface portion thereof between said lugs and said lower end for engaging the side of said receptacle adjacent said lower end to position said receptacle in a horizontal plane when in open position.

3. In a box to be supported at the waist at the side of a wearer; a supporting plate having an upper and a lower end; an arcuate plate having the arcuate portion thereof adapted to fit the side of a wearer rigidly secured in spaced relation to the upper end of said supporting plate with an arcuate edge of said arcuate plate being in the same plane as the upper end of said supporting plate and the ends of said arcuate plate extending away from one side of said supporting plate; said supporting plate extending downwardly below said arcuate plate, and said upper and lower ends of said supporting plate being sufiiciently spaced to span the normal distance between a wearers belt line and a point on a wearers thigh whereby said supporting plate is adapted to engage a wearers thigh and be held in substantially vertical position when said arcuate plate engages a wearers waist at his belt line; a substantially rectangular receptacle pivotally secured adjacent one or its ends to the other side of said supporting plate intermediate upper and lower ends of said supporting plate, said receptacle having an open side which lies adjacent and parallel to said supporting plate when said receptacle is pivoted to closed position and perpendicular to said supporting plate when said receptacle is pivoted to open position; a lid hingedly secured to said receptacle for closing said open side, said receptacle having a side adjacent said lower end of said supporting plate which lies perpendicular to said supporting plate when said receptacle is in closed position and parallel and overlying the portion of said supporting plate adjacent said lower end when the receptacle is in open position; said lid lying adjacent said supporting plate when said receptacle is in fully closed position; and means for maintaining said receptacle in fully closed position; belt engaging means secured to said arcuate plate; said receptacle secured to said supporting plate by means of lugs rigidly secured to said supporting plate which engage pins on opposite sides of said receptacle; and stop means secured to said supporting plate on the surface portion thereof between said lugs and said lower end for engaging the side of said receptacle adjacent said lower end to position said receptacle in a horizontal plane when in open position; and said lid being hinged to the side of said receptacle opposite said side adjacent the lower end of said supporting plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,484,399 Kroha Feb. 19, 1924 1,549,400 Wimler Aug. 11, 1925 1,578,468 Rankin Mar. 30, 1926 1,605,195 Lewis Nov. 2, 1926 1,642,629 Rankin Sept. 13, 1927 2,436,109 Kollman Feb, 17, 1948 2,513,538 Williams July 4, 1950 2,580,913 Hawthorne Jan. 1, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 38,548 Norway Dec. 10, 1923 

